An orderly
crosses the approach road to take the pace stick from the
Regimental Sergeant Major who draws his sword, the only time an
RSM will do so, in peacetime, is on a parade where a Colour is
trooped.

The 'Escort
For the Colour' marches off in quick time to the tune the 'British
Grenadiers'.
No matter which regiment's colour is being trooped, the 'British
Grenadiers' is always used at this point in the parade because
the right flank company of every battalion used to be a grenadier
company.

The Escort
marks time whilst the Massed Bands clear the line of march. The
Subaltern is now looking for a small white stone 15 paces from
the Colour Party where he will halt the Escort.

The RSM
marches from the rear of the Escort, sword drawn in symbolic
protection of the Colour. He is followed forward by the 'Ensign
For the Colour' who will carry the Colour through the ranks of
assembled guardsmen.

The RSM
salutes the Colour, takes a pace forward, receives the Colour in
his left hand from the Sergeant of the Colour Party.

In turn the
Ensign salutes the Colour, sheathes his sword, receives the
Colour and places it in his colour belt. He then turns and shows
the Colour which will be trooped.

The Escort
has now become the 'Escort To the Colour'.

The parade
present arms to the strains of the National Anthem. The Escort
now moves through the ranks of the assembled guards in slow time
to the tunes 'Escort to
The Colour'
and the 'Grenadiers
Slow March'
(used to march grenadiers back to barracks after changing the
guard).

(Photo courtesy of
Sgt. Paul Shaw LBIPP (Army))

Click video to watch 'The Trooping of the
Colour'

The Massed
Bands, at this point, carry out the intricate "Spin
Wheel" manoeuvre which appears in no drill book or manual of
ceremonial, but is passed down from memory to each new generation
of bandsmen. (see panel below)

The 'Escort
To the Colour', having cleared No. 2 Guard resumes its place on
the right of the line.

The Escort
now presents arms and the parade is then ordered to slope arms
and the officers ordered to take posts.

Many spectators think that
the part played by the Foot Guards' Bands has remained
unchanged over the years, but with the formation of the
Regimental Bands and Corps of Drums of the Irish and
Welsh Guards (and the Pipes and Drums of the former) it
became impossible for the mass of men, numbering well
over 400, to manoeuvre in the customary manner and, as a
result, the 'Spin-Wheel' was invented. It is the
responsibility of the Garrison Sergeant Major to ensure
by rehearsals that it is executed correctly. Lieutentant
Colonel Rodney Bashford, late Director of Music Grenadier
Guards, described it thus:

"A 'wheel' is
not an easy manoeuvre with even a small body of troops,
and with a block of 400 men the normal wheel is
impossible. The massed band therefore pivots on its own
centre, so that certain outer ranks and files march long
distances in a hurry while the centre and inner ranks
loiter with extreme intent, or merely mark time. Yet
others not only step sideways but backwards as well. This
highly complex movement is called a 'spin-wheel', the
details of which can be found in no drill book or manual
of ceremonial. Its complexity defies description, and if
the truth were known, many of the participants know not
whither they go or, on arrival, how they got there. The
spin-wheel is almost an art form and each performance of
it, although similar in essentials, is different in
detail. Most of the performers are adjusting their
actions to suit the needs of the spin-wheel of the
moment, having adjusted their movements quite otherwise
on other occasions."

click video to watch a
closeup view of the spin wheel.

"The public
is, hopefully, unaware of all this, and unless forewarned
will likely as not miss the action completely, for it all
looks so simple and inevitable from a spectator's seat.
The public is, also hopefully, unaware of events in the
epicentre of that elegantly spinning body of men. The
spectatar hears only the music, but those on parade in
the vicinity of the spin-wheel are aware of the deafening
cacophony of crotchets and quavers plus much shouting and
gesticulating as the five directors of music, hidden
within the ranks, and the senior NCOs bid to control the
wanderings of the less experienced brethren, lost to the
world in what to them must resemble a super-orchestrated
fairground roundabout gone mad. And as this spinning,
roaring mass slowly gains equilibrium the raw ones are
suddenly, frighteningly conscious of something amiss - a
slight miscalculation perhaps on someone's part - for
half the band is facing north, and the other south. Then
a distant, ghostly scream, seemingly emanating from a
euphonium to the north, effects an about turn by the
eastern half. And all is finished."

"The massed
bands, corps of drums, and pipes and drums of Her
Majesty's Guards Division have changed direction."

Spin
Wheel - the inside view:
At this point during the parade the Massed Bands
need to turn 90 degrees to the left. The bands are too
big and there isn't enough space to perform a normal
wheel so we do the spin wheel instead. As soon as we step
off, the left half of the band all turn around and then
everyone starts moving round to the right trying to keep
2 paces between the person in front of you and to your
right. Once the front of the right half and the rear of
the left half of the band are round, listen for a double
tap from the Bass Drum and the left hand side of the band
turn around again. Then you simply pick up your dressing
and look in for the "forward" from the Senior
Drum Major.